A novel way to express my creative self!
I’ve always thought of myself as a creative person, and I’ve always been told I’m a creative person, but I had never thought much about what that really meant. I just did what felt good and what came naturally to me. When I was younger it was art and drawing, and later graphic design and photography. I always loved to sing and dance, but as a shy person, the fear of what others might think held me back. Drawing, painting and photography were ways for me to enjoy quiet flow states, and they definitely had a therapeutic purpose.
Being creative comes naturally to all of us, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a professional artist to paint, sing or dance. You don’t even have to share it; it might just be something for your own personal pleasure. In fact, thinking of creativity as only relating to the arts can be quite limiting. For example, my husband is a master at organising small spaces. If ever I need to pack a case, store stuff in boxes, or reorganise a cupboard, I hand the task over to him. He has this ability to make everything fit in just the right way, almost as though he can predict the available space—a bit like solving a puzzle. And there’s nothing quite so satisfying as standing back and admiring the handy work of a job well done! That’s creativity, and there are many ways to be creative and achieve that feeling of satisfaction.
What if the way we think about ourselves, and the fear of others’ judgement is what holds us back from the pure enjoyment of expressing our creative selves? A few years ago I decided to take a risk with something I’d never done before, and had no idea if it was something I could achieve. I had never thought of myself as a writer, and despite having since written and self-published a full length young adult novel—I still don’t! It turned out to be a way for me to channel all of my own learnings and experiences, and my hope is that the end result might inspire young (and old) adults to embrace their own creative journeys of self-discovery. What I found interesting was just how similar writing felt to drawing, painting, or even digital design. The layering of different elements to create this unfolding of events in the readers mind; and not only visually, but in a way that lights up all the senses.
The idea for the story came to me one summer when I was staying in the beautiful, picturesque Portuguese countryside. It struck me that the peace and tranquility that appealed to me about the place would probably be the worst nightmare of a modern teen (and even myself as a teen back in the 90s!) And so the coming of age journey of self-discovery, The Girl Who Woke Up, was born. Without her online connection, 16-year-old Clementina experiences some unexpected, yet positive side effects from her forced social media detox. Instead, her iPhone becomes a way for her to connect with nature and her surroundings when she discovers a passion for photography. She soon realises that there’s nothing boring or ordinary about any moment, and capturing the ever changing moments of life reminds her just how important it is to stop and take notice; to be a neutral witness to everything around her. It also gives her a sense of purpose and a way to share her unique view on life, and even inspires her to think about her future career prospects— something she always dreaded.
Another element that I weaved into the story was my interest in sound and music as a tool for healing and emotional wellbeing. Clementina meets a talented blind musician, who teaches her to ‘see’ things a bit differently. Music comes naturally to Noé, almost as if it were a built in ability. His musical compositions have a powerful effect on Clementina and seem to help and guide her into a calm and quiet state of mind. Music has always had a powerful effect on me, both positive and negative. In a way, it’s been an important teacher for me, helping to bring awareness to what I need to pay attention to. Certain pieces of music can help me drift into blissful states of relaxation and quieten down my busy mind, while others can uplift me and bring me out of a bad mood instantly! Then again, I also need to remain mindful of those songs that arouse emotions like grief and sadness and stir up negative self-talk. Clementina has a similar experience when a song stirs up uncomfortable feelings for her, which triggers a life-changing event she’ll never forget!
The most important theme I carried throughout the story was of self-healing. Having trained in several emotional development and wellbeing techniques, like hypnosis and NLP, I wanted to bring in some of these valuable, creative tools. When working with people to help them resolve emotional issues like anxiety, fears, phobias and unhelpful habits, I was always amazed at just how innovative our minds are, and how incredibly powerful our imaginations are in changing our
(perception of) reality. I’ve experienced this for myself many times, but still I have to constantly remind myself of my own power!
Ultimately, we are our own authors, and there is profound power in the stories we tell ourselves. My main character, Clementina, was oblivious to the stories she had been telling herself. But, as she becomes more aware of her thoughts and feelings, she starts to write them down. Pouring it
all out into her journal helps her to connect to her inner-world and she gains valuable insights that help her along her journey of self-healing. I’ve also found journaling to be helpful, especially when I have a problem to solve, or even a relationship issue. Sometimes writing things down is so much
easier than saying them out loud. Taking the time to slow down and process feelings and emotions through writing is definitely worthwhile, and who knows, you might end up with a novel at the end of it 😉
M.J.Royle Bio:
M.J.Royle is a writer and author of YA magical realism and visionary fiction. M.J’s keen interest in spirituality and self-development, combined with her background in design and advertising, led to the birth of an unexpected writing career and a much needed artistic outlet. M.J weaves almost 20 years of learning and experience in creative expression, personal alchemy and healing into her work and hopes to bring a little magic to the mundane through her inspirational stories.
Connect with M.J.Royle:
www.mjroyle.com
https://www.facebook.com/mjroyle.author
https://www.instagram.com/m.j.royle.author/
